title: Feasibility of using a vessel sealing system in a human pulmonary lobectomy: a retrospective comparison of this procedure with or without a vessel sealing system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite recent advances in video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy, some technical limitations still remain. Our current study purpose was to determine if the vessel sealing system (VSS) has utility in this procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  112 patients who underwent an anatomic pulmonary lobectomy at our institute were evaluated retrospectively. The burst pressure of pulmonary vessels, which was divided into VSS (VSS group; n = 44) or manual ligature (ligature group; n = 53) groups, was measured experimentally in transected lungs. Perioperative clinical data was also retrospectively evaluated in patients treated with (VSS group) or without using VSS (n-VSS group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Burst pressures achieved adequate strength in both the VSS (600.0 ± 436.8 mmHg) and ligature (1057.4 ± 462.3 mmHg) groups. Compared with the n-VSS group, the VSS group patients showed lower intraoperative blood loss (115.4 ± 181.1 vs. 183.3 ± 159.1 ml), lower chest fluids by 3rd post-operative day (POD) (533.8 ± 264.8 vs. 705.3 ± 339.3 ml) and a shorter period of chest tube duration (4.1 ± 1.2 vs. 5.4 ± 2.4 days). No serious complications or perioperative (30 days) deaths occurred in either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The VSS device has the advantage in pulmonary lobectomy procedures, especially those involving video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS).
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, School of Medicine, Shinshu University, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toishi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: Gaku
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiina
authors.forename: Ryoichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Amano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006489:Hemostatic Techniques / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome